St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-10-15
HOW PEOPLE TAKE COLD
4 Few Pertinent Observations on an
Everyday Topic.
GEORGE II. ROHE, NJ. D.

, 1t is unnecessary to describe the svmp,
toms Of an ordinary cold, Everyone has
had more or less personal experience.
, Colds are always characterized as bad, ~
"miserable,' "fearful,' or even stronger
adjectlves are used as if anyone had ever
heard Of a good" "comfortable" or
"jOllv NICE cold At best a cold is an
undesirable possession, and everybody
having any regard for personal comfort
is anxious to get rid of the unwelc0me
incumbrance at the first fair opportu-
nifty.
The details of taking a cold are very
various, but the changes going on in
the body are probably essentially the
same in all cases. The dryness of the
skin, nostrils, mouth and throat, the
stiffness and soreness of the muscles, the
joint and nerve pains, the general sense
of discomfort, and the sneezing, cough
or fever are all probably due to a derange-
ment in the circulation Of the blood
This disturbance Of circulation is
brought about primarily by irregular
'NSlioAi W - POltACi VI VIC uCi Gus ~ =
TEN. In order to understand how this
occurs, few facts in physiology must
first be mentioned.
/ The normal temperature of the human
/ boGy is about 99t degrees. In all the
/ processes of life, in breathing, muscular
contraction, nutrition, secretion. think
ing, some of the materials of the body
undergo chemical decomposition. This
produces heat. If the heat were re-
tained in the body the TEN perature would
soon rise 50 high that continued life
would be impossible. The blood, NOV
ing through the blood vessels at rate
and in mass regulated by part Of the
nervous organization, equalizes this tenn
perature. If the heat in the Interior
say in the brain during hard thinking,
or in a group of muscles in active
contraction - rises above the normal,
notice is at once sent to the
nerves governing the calibre of the |
blood vessels of the skin, and the
latter dilate and allow greater quantity |
OF blood to pass through them in a
given time. The blood thus coming in |
contact with the external air is cooled !
and the equilibrium Of temperature soon |
re-established This gOvernor-svstem of /
nerves, as it may be termed (the scien-
tine name is vasO-mOtor, or yessel-mOying .
svStem), is always on the watch to main
tain this equilibrium. Sometimes, how
ever, the changes are too rapid or in
tense and the nerves fail to promptly
restore the balance of temperature, and
hinr IL 1iahla !
with the delicate adjustment of the
vital mechanism. We may represent to
ourselves something of this sort in the
process of taking cold. A person is
warmed from active exercise or exposure
to heat. The superficial vessels are widely
dilated and the blood is giving off at the
surface the surplus of heat produced in
the interior. The perspiration, by evap-
Grating from the skin, assists in the re-
ductlon OF temperature. If the heat
production is continued the individual
can never take cold. If, however, he
ceases to produce heat in excess, either
by suspending the exercise or moving
into cooler atmosphere, the cooling
takes place too rapidly. The gov
ernor system is thrown out of
order; it gets excitable, as it
were, and to prevent too rapid loss
Of the body-heat, it shuts off the super
icial vessels and dilates those of the
Interior. This produces COMPOSITIONS,
md we have as a result disturbance of
junction of the internal organs If this
s at once recognized and the blood again {
ent to the skin, the congestion is re-
ieved and the consequence-"thec old"-
las been averted. But if it is allowed to
continue, the train Of symptoms so we'll
,nown follows.
This disturbance of the circulation may
re brought about in various ways-by s
Exposure when overheated; by exposing
ortions of the body uncovered or lightly t
overed to air currents; by injudicious ,
hanges in clothing at the changing of [
he seasons; by close cropping thick
uit of hair in cool weather, and multi a
lde of other ways familiar to many G.
rom personal experience or observation II
The effects are as manifold as the r
auses. In one, cold settles on the
lngs' and bronchitis is the result In Fl
mother the irritation is limited to the
'indpipe, and cough, hoarseness or Group
blows; third gets pleurisy; another
ritation of the stomach, bowels or kid
eys others get "a cold in the head"
anifested by saeezing, Redeemed eyes
llgia, ophthalmia, Deafness localized q,
analysis, muscular rheumatism and
any other symptoms, all being simply P
,pressions of the process of taking
I'D"
Every cold merits the attention of the
tferer. 1t is customary for both
stient and physician to say: ''Oh, OF
EVER mind tit will get we'll of itself" 80
I'd so it may. A simple cold doesn't Pc
Mount to much, but it may lead to
more serious. A cold in the
,se or throat may extend to the smaller In
onchial tubes, causing catarrhal pneu
onia, with its almost inevitable sequel, -
1t is worth while to try
d avert such conclusion, even if the
and discomfort of the 1
Id alone do not drive the sufferer to SEE
tx relief ort
In the very beginning OF a cold, one of Fri
? best remedies to restore cutaneous pal
culation, relieve internal congestion one
d reduce temperature is a hot whiskey pay
rum punch. A hot lemonade herb t 1ho
r lox 11ar ,nt via